Germany wants one million EVs by 2020
The so-called "national platform for electric mobility" comes after Merkel pledged to have one million electric vehicles on the road within the next decade.
Merkel says there needs to be greater independence from natural resources. She is pushing sustainable technologies that will help limit the effects of climate change.
BMW AG's chief executive Norbert Reithofer says Germany is well positioned to become a technology leader in that market.
He says: "To make this happen, our leaders in politics and industry have to be pulling in the same direction."
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Analysis: Out in the cold: how Japan's electricity grid came close to blackouts
TOKYO - Japan's worst electricity crunch since the aftermath of the Fukushima crisis has exposed vulnerabilities in the country's recently liberalised power market, although some of the problems appear self-inflicted.
Power prices in Japan hit record highs last month as a cold snap across northeast Asia prompted a scramble for supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a major fuel for the country's power plants. Power companies urged customers to ration electricity to prevent blackouts, although no outages occurred.
The crisis highlighted how many providers were unprepared for such high demand. Experts say LNG stocks were not topped up ahead of winter and…
